In my experience with using the cleaner on carpet, I have found that it works really well for organic stains, but not on greasy stains. So if you have greasy stains you probably need to get them out with some kind of solvent first. Good luck...Hope it works for you!

Well here's my .02 cents. I can't believe that this has been going on since 08. I have a 2011 and have front and back seat marks and I do NOT eat, have pets,or kids so I was shocked to see the spots. I used a product (no chemical content) called INCREDIBLE that was sold at Linens and More store. I have had this bottle for a long time and hope I can still get it. I used it on my seats and all stains went away. What is wrong with Ford? This reminds me of the fiasco with the 6 speed auto that they insist is perfect.As long as we keep buying em they will keep ignoring us and keep making em!

Tried the Pet Oxygen on one seat and while it looked better, it did not take out the Baby Oil Gel stain that earlier poster said would work. This is exasperating! When I had it in for service last week, I mentioned the seat stain issue again and was basically told since it wasn't a mechanical problem, too bad. Ford sent me a survey today asking about my experience and I let them know how disappointed I am and that there is an entire forum dedicated to this one issue on Edmund's and they better pay attention. Just tell us how to get them clean!!! Mine are beige, btw, which may account for the more noticeable marks. And babbs3, all it takes is a rainy day or a bag of cold groceries to bring out the stains - no direct contact with liquids needed at all. Ford needs to own this one and give us a solution. I'll look for INCREDIBLE - perfectly named.

What year is your car? Mine is a 2011. I had the Escape for a week and a stain appeared on the driver seat. The dealership replaced the fabric with the exact same recycled fabric. Since then I have not had anymore stains, but I am very careful also (and I shouldn't have to be)!!

Thanks for the input babbs3! I may have to get some of that INCREDIBLE stuff. I also have a 2011 Ford Escape. They want so many kudos for using green products that they are not willing to test the recycled junk or own up to their mistake. Who would have thought you would have to research seat fabric when buying a new vehicle?!!

Exactly! Made me feel like I was making a cleaner, greener choice by moving away from leather. I have a 2009. The responses from the dealer (mechanics) have run the gamut from surprise, to I'll call you with a solution, to so what. And I have purchased three vehicles from them. Like I said, we KNOW there is a problem. Help us solve it!!

i used the woolite pet oxygen cleaner on the 2 yr old stains on the back seat. took a couple applications until i could see a difference. all the tsains are gone w/the exception of a french fry grease stain (and that one doesn't looks as bad). my front seats were replaced in 2009 w/the "new" material which seems to be the same as the old material. got some white ringed marks this winter. rinsed them w/water and they went away. still, i am as confounded as the rest of you why ford continues to use this stuff. evidently they feel it doesn't cost them as much to respond to a very small minority of unhappy customers.

We have a 2008 escape that had the same stains. The dealership sent Ford pictures before the warranty was up and they replaced the seat covers and made an adjustment to the sunroof. Now 3yrs and 65K miles later the sunroof is rusting and the dealership and Ford are refusing to repair it because now it is "out of warranty".. even though it is barely past the 3 year mark and it is rusting through. "Built Ford Tough" Right!, except if it rains.

Sorry to hear about the rusty roof. I can't believe that Ford gets away with such awful quality. I met a man last week and he said that his 2008 Escape had new seats installed and they are still staining. He is going to pay for new leather seating. Huh? Ford depends on owners to correct problems themselves,thus we continue buying their mistakes. Just like the guy who thinks 70,000 miles on a transmission failure is not so bad. Hmmmm

The lease is up for my 2009 Ford Escape and I am planning to purchase it in a few days. I was out here doing some research on whether or not I should buy Ford's extended warranty when I found out there was a TSB for the seat material issues. The stains have been a nuisance and eye sore from just water. What are the chances Ford will offer to replace?

You need to try to get them to replace the fabric. I thought the TSB was on 2008 models, but if so let them know the same defective fabric swatch was used in your vehicle. My problem was with my brand new 2011 Escape. The dealer did replace the driver seat with the same recycled fabric but no problems yet. It's a shame I have to be extra careful in that vehicle!

Thanks for the quick reply. It is ashame that these issues continue. Posts out here said the TSB was for the 2008/2009 Escapes built on or before 5/14/09. Hopeful! I am sending the salesman who is preparing my paperwork a note about it. Chrysler had the same problem with the Jeeps. Now to decide whether or not to buy the extended warranty.

I have a 2011 Ford Escape with the so-called environmentally friendly recycled material seats. I don't care much about the touchy-feelie environmental stuff. I just want a seat that's comfortable and durable.

I baby my vehicles, and weigh under 200 pounds. But the bottom of the driver's seat is already fraying and splitting at one of the seams. I am sure I can get this repaired under my warranty, although I am not looking forward to leaving my new Escape at the dealer for a day to get this fixed.

I just wonder if this is a one-in-a-million problem, or if lots of people are seeing durability problems in this "wonderful" recycled material.

i have a 2008 escape. no durability issues yet. back seat upholstery is original and very stained ( i tried the Oxy Pet Removal stuff on it per another poster's recomendation--looked like it worked initally, but the stains are back). front seats were replaced while it was under warranty. so far, they haven't stained. it doesn't surprise me that the seats would also wear out. that material is awful.

I have a 2010 Escape that is having a couple issues with the seats. First, the drivers seat is starting to fray at the seam on the top, left side.

Also, while folding the rear seat down, the bracket that holds the seat in ripped out. Looks like they took the metal rod, attached it to a plate and used expanding foam to hold it into the seat. Mind you, the back seat has had a passenger about 5 times in the year since I bought it. This is the "high quality of the eco friendly" foam seats... not sure how eco friendly they are when they have to be replaced every year.

re: BAD SEATS....Its' one thing to have to fight the mysterious stains (found product called INCREDIBLE) but to have seats tearing apart and rods sticking thru. What the @## is Ford doing besides cashing in on the sales? Can we really do anything?

Ford replaced both my front seats with the same garbage that came out of the truck. Fords seat materials are junk to say the least. Cleaning a stain makes it worse. Rainwater leaves white rings if the seats happen to get wet. Ford should be made to replace these seats with leather due to the fact the crap material they are using makes a nice truck look like a trash pit. Mine is a 200-8 and they replaced the two seats in 2009.

Re: bad seats...It is hard to believe that after all this time Ford will not admit they are using BAD material to make seats. I have a 2011 Escape that after a month there was 3 or 4 mystery stains that apppeared. I never spill, eat or even put anything wet near my seats and yet there they were. I used a product called INCREDABLE (buy at Bed Bath & Beyond) and they came out. But, a month later 2 new stains appeared. I removed those and as of today I have 2 new tiny stains. HUH? I agree that Ford should replace seats with leather or change the supplier of those terrible seats. Ford knows that very few people will return a car for seats so what do they care if theyre bad? They are cheap for them to buy so the h@#$ with us. The interior of my car is as important (maybe more) than the outside so I will NEVER get another Escape. Ford figures oh well no one ever died from these seats..why change them?

as mentioned earlier, when i brought the TSB into my dealership, i got the front seats replaced on my '08 escape. altho every liquid stain on them leaves a blotch or that tell-tale white mark, i find that the oxyclean pet stain remover works. sometimes not on the first try, but eventually. the back seats have several brownish stains (from the kids) and the oxyclean does a decent job there, too. not great, just decent. altho i am as disgusted as everyone else w/the lack of quality, i still would consider another escape when this one bites the dust. mechanically, (knock wood) it's been great. and i am very pleased w/my local dealership. even tho it may cost me more, i take the car there for all servicing.

The dealer replaced the covers on my 08 escape in 2011 and had no problems since they were replaced. No white spots and just clean them with an over the counter cleaner. I just clean them and look good as new. Seems like some dealers are replacing them with the old covers.

I too share this ISSUE with our 2012 Ford Focus. Stone Grey Soy Bean/Eco Friendly/Green ...whatever they want to call the material. It just is plain and simple-- defective!From Aug 2011 till now/April 2012, have been in touch with Dealer, Ford CSR, social media, BBB, Ford again. All Seat covers replaced Nov 2011, while in the shop (7 days) the dealer put on over 2000 miles!! Issues developed -puckering and bunching, dealer took car for 12 days and drove it twice (80miles) to an outside upholstery shop to 'steam and stretch'. Water Stains happening again, BBB set up conference call, was told , Ford will replace two front seats and reimburse us for one month car pymt. This again with the same defective material! Ford says it there was an issue, there would have been a recall! On our work order from Nov 2011, it is stated that the Ford Eng rep says it is a known issue with this trim level and said to replace all seat covers. So It is a KNOWN issue, but they continue with the fabric. I said that is INSANE and the Ford rep says, "you're entitled to your opinion" . I am waiting to hear what Ford rep says in regard to the exorbitant amount of miles the dealer put on the car, reimbursing us for that in addition to several trips to the dealer. I too asked for leather and they denied our request, saying the vehicle doesn't meet the specs for that. I then said, give us $2000 and we will take it to a shop that says they do it all the time!We also, will have a hard time purchasing another Ford product based on this experience. I also asked them...would Mr Mulally be treated like this?

You deserve not only new seats but one hell of a apology from Ford Motor as well as a fine imposed on that dealer. I can't believe that Ford can get away with these criminal actions. To put on 2080 miles on a car can only mean they were using it either for personal trips or loaning it to un known people. I recently received the new pamplet for the 2013 Fords and guess what? they have the nerve to list the new recycle materials that will show up in these cars. Huh? My 2011 Escape has two new stains (thought I got rid of them) but I know there will be more before the lease is up. You have been more than cooperative with these jokers and you can be sure non of the executives would ever have to put up with this nonesense. They should all get jail time!

We had our brand new 2011 Ford Escape for maybe one week and noticed a stain on the driver's seat. After emailing Alan Mulally (president and CEO of Ford), and emailing back and forth to Lynne Buckman (executive liason at Ford), the dealership was still hesitant to do anything. We insisted, and after attempts to clean the seat at the Ford dealership, they were forced to replace the driver seat fabric. We asked that all seats be replaced with a different material, but they would not do it. The salesman who sold us the car must have been under so much pressure at the dealership that he either resigned or was fired. Anyway, we now have to be extra careful not to spill anything on the seats. I would never buy another Ford after this experience and will always check to make sure the vehicle has no recycled products in it. Ford was so intent on pleasing the green community and getting acclaim for using a recycled product that they failed to thoroughly test it and will not stand behind their product now!!

You have been treated like you bought this car from a junk yard and you are expected to live with it. I bet you that you will not even have to spill anything on those seats to see a spot. I have not spilled or eaten or had a pet in any car for over 35 years. The stains I had, just appeared on their own. Do you think Mulally would ever put up with this? Oh yeah, he gets leather so i'ts not his problem. If I were keeping my Escape I would have to get seat covers...Oh man are we in the 60's again? I feel bad for you but the only thing we can do is NOT buy anymore. That seems to be the only solution.

Use Oxyclean spray carpet cleaner and a soft brush, wet and brush it well. Put a clean towel on top and press down to soak it up. This works very well--I've done it many times on my Escape seat fabric, from spilling cokes, to my little niece shaking and spraying a liquid yogurt drink. it all came out.

When it rains and my wife opens the door or doors on her 2008 escape water from above the door drips down on the seats. This has caused a discoloration on the seat. I don't know if it is cuased by acid rain or just inferior cloth being used on seats. Apparently there is nothing that can be done as the warranty is up. Any suggestions on to restore the seats?